Nurseries

Raising of indigenous forest and horticultural species has been an area of priority in the work at Keystone. Most nurseries grow ornamental and horticulture varieties, but we raise forest and shola species and are being recognized for it by people and Forest Departments. Earlier, only the Forest Department would grow such nurseries. In our approach, we have found active participation and interest from the village. The Forest Department also understands our work and has given us permission to plant these species in the forest. As a result of this we have planted 6210 plants in Bhavani Sagar range at Sathyamangalam and the survival of the species is being monitored. We have also issued 3750 free saplings to Hasanur and Bhavani Sagar forest ranges.

People in the villages have also planted these forest species in their fallow lands and abandoned along the boundaries as fencing. A total number of 20,561 plants of more than 45 varieties were planted over the year (2008). As of December 2008, there remains 55,426 plants of more than 50 vaieties in all our 9 nurseries.

We have also planted saplings in Kotagiri town panchayat at “Happy Valley” which is a wetland close to our office campus. These plants and their survival are being constantly monitored. Fruit species are also grown and distributed free of cost to people, some species are grown on demand and distributed.

In addition to this, some species that are required and used by the Kurumba community traditionally for their festivals are being grown in the sacred grove ‘Devashola’. We are working on getting permission to plant saplings in the sacred groves from the Forest Department. The endangered species Cycas circinalis is being grown in various nurseries. They have been out planted in vacant lands. Nursery plants are being sold steadily at Sigur. Sales happen directly at the nursery and through the small shop that has been set up in Masinagudi. Approximately 1500 plants have been sold through this outlet and income from this has been Rs. 13,569.